It is a well known fact that household pets are apt to lick or nibble at wounds, sores, rashes, sutures, flea bites and other afflicted portions of their bodies. This propensity can not only retard the healing process but also lead to complications which require further medical attention. Therefore, unless the animal is immobilized with some sort of body truss, it must be prevented from reaching the wound or irritated area with its mouth.
At present, one of the most common devices for doing this is the so-called Elizabethan collar, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,554 to F. L. Johnson. A disk in the form of a truncated cone is fitted around the animal's neck and prevents the animal from reaching its body with its mouth. Elizabethan collars, however, are rather cumbersome devices, and they interfere with the ability of the animal to sleep, eat and drink. They also interfere with the animal's mobility, making it difficult to run, climb stairs, and maneuver around corners and through narrow spaces. They act as a barrier between the animal and its owner, preventing the owner from holding the animal and preventing the animal from jumping up on the owner. Finally, Elizabethan collars are unsightly and can be a source of embarrassment to the owner. Other similar collars are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,530 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,098.